Beginnings (Chicago song)

1969 single by Chicago Transit Authority

"Beginnings"

Single by Chicago Transit Authority
from the album  Chicago Transit Authority
B-side|

* "Poem 58"
* (Original 1969 release)
* "Colour My World"
* (1971 re-release)

Released|

* October 1969
* June 1971 (re-release)

Recorded| January 27/30, 1969
Genre| Pop soul,[1] Jazz rock
Length|

* 7:54 (Album version)
* 2:47 (Single version)
* 6:26 (Only the Beginning edit)

Label| Columbia
Songwriter(s)| Robert Lamm
Producer(s)| James William Guercio
Chicago Transit Authority singles chronology
| "Questions 67 and 68"
(1969)  | "Beginnings"
(1969)  | "Make Me Smile"
(1970)

|
|

* * *

Lowdown
(1971)  |

* * *

Beginnings/Colour My World
(1971)  |

* * *

Questions 67 and 68/I'm a Man
(1971)

|
|

"Beginnings" is a song written by Robert Lamm for the rock band Chicago Transit Authority and recorded for its debut album Chicago Transit Authority, released in 1969. The song is the band's second single (after "Questions 67 and 68"), had peaked at position #8 by means of the WNHC hit parade, but did not reach either the Billboard or the Cash Box hit parade on its initial release.[2]

After the band's success with subsequent singles, "Beginnings" was re-released in June 1971, backed with "Colour My World". Both sides became U.S. radio hits, and the combined single climbed to number seven on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[3] "Beginnings" reached number one on the U.S. Easy Listening chart.[4][5] Writing for Ultimate Classic Rock, Dave Swanson rates "Beginnings" as number two in his list of top ten Chicago songs.[2] It has been covered by many bands.

## Composition

[edit]

Robert Lamm said "Beginnings" was inspired by a performance by Richie Havens that he attended at the Ash Grove music club in Los Angeles when the group moved to that area.[6] In a 2013 interview he said he composed it on a twelve-string guitar that was missing the two low E strings.[7]

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

| Chart (1971)  | Peak
position

|

Canada RPM Top Singles[8] | 8
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[9] | 15
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[3][10] | 7
U.S. Billboard Easy Listening[5][10] | 1
U.S. Cash Box Top 100[11] | 11

### Year-end charts

[edit]

| Chart (1971)  | Rank

|

Canada RPM Top Singles[12][13] | 53
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[14] | 64
U.S. Easy Listening (Billboard)[15] |

U.S. Cash Box[16][17] | 58

## Personnel

[edit]

* Robert Lamm \- lead vocals, keyboards
* Terry Kath \- 12-string acoustic guitar, backing vocals
* Peter Cetera \- bass, backing vocals
* Danny Seraphine \- drums, percussion
* Jimmy Pankow \- trombone
* Lee Loughnane \- trumpet
* Walter Parazaider \- alto saxophone

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Billboard Staff (October 19, 2023). "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved February 10, 2024. "Soul-pop, horns, blissed-out lovey-doveyness that anticipates even clearer skies ahead: Hey, that sounds like Chicago's "Beginnings"..."
2. ^ a b Swanson, Dave (December 17, 2015). "Top 10 Chicago Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
3. ^ a b "Chicago Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
4. ^ "Billboard Singles". All Media Guide / Billboard. Retrieved March 7, 2010.
5. ^ a b "Chicago Chart History: Adult Contemporary". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
6. ^ Ruhlmann, William James (1991). Chicago Group Portrait (Box Set) (Media notes). New York City, NY: Columbia Records. p. 2\. Archived from the original (CD booklet archived online) on November 12, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
7. ^ Lamm, Robert; Loughnane, Lee; Scheff, Jason; Pardini, Lou (Oct 24, 2013). "Exclusive Interview with Chicago!". 947WLS.com (radio and video). Interviewed by Danny Lake. Chicago, Illinois: 94.7 WLS-FM. At time 11:12-12:20. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
8. ^ "RPM 100 Singles". RPM. Canada. September 4, 1971. Retrieved February 20, 2019 - via Library and Archives Canada.
9. ^ "RPM MOR Playlist". RPM. Canada. July 24, 1971. Retrieved February 20, 2019 - via Library and Archives Canada.
10. ^ a b Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 \- ISBN 0-89820-089-X
11. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles". Cash Box. August 28, 1971. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
12. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
13. ^ "RPM 100 Top Singles of '71". RPM. Vol. 16, no. 20\. January 8, 1972. Retrieved February 20, 2019 - via Library and Archives Canada.
14. ^ "Top Pop 100 Singles". Billboard. Vol. 83, no. 52\. December 25, 1971. p. TA-36. Retrieved February 20, 2019 - via Google books.
15. ^ "Top Easy Listening Singles". Billboard. Vol. 83, no. 52\. December 25, 1971. p. TA-38. Retrieved February 20, 2019 - via Google books.
16. ^ "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1971". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
17. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Chart Hits of 1971" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. XXXIII, no. 27\. December 25, 1971. p. 31. Retrieved February 20, 2019 - via AmericanRadioHistory.com.

## External links

[edit]

* Chicago - Beginnings on YouTube

* v
* t
* e

Chicago

* Robert Lamm
* Lee Loughnane
* James Pankow
* Walfredo Reyes Jr.
* Ray Herrmann
* Neil Donell
* Ramon Yslas
* Tony Obrohta
* Loren Gold
* Eric Baines
* Carlos Murguia

* Walter Parazaider
* Danny Seraphine
* Terry Kath
* Peter Cetera
* Laudir de Oliveira
* Donnie Dacus
* Chris Pinnick
* Bill Champlin
* Jason Scheff
* Dawayne Bailey
* Tris Imboden
* Bruce Gaitsch
* Keith Howland
* Drew Hester
* Lou Pardini
* Daniel De Los Reyes
* Jeff Coffey
* Brett Simons

Studio albums|

* Chicago Transit Authority
* Chicago
* Chicago III
* Chicago V
* Chicago VI
* Chicago VII
* Chicago VIII
* Chicago X
* Chicago XI
* Hot Streets
* Chicago 13
* Chicago XIV
* Chicago 16
* Chicago 17
* Chicago 18
* Chicago 19
* Twenty 1
* Night & Day: Big Band
* Chicago XXX
* Chicago XXXII: Stone of Sisyphus
* Chicago XXXV: The Nashville Sessions
* Chicago XXXVI: Now
* Chicago XXXVIII: Born for This Moment

Christmas albums|

* Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album
* Chicago XXXIII: O Christmas Three
* Chicago XXXVII: Chicago Christmas

Live albums|

* Chicago at Carnegie Hall
* Live in Japan
* Chicago XXVI: Live in Concert
* Chicago XXXIV: Live in '75

Compilations|

* Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits
* Greatest Hits, Volume II
* If You Leave Me Now
* Take Me Back to Chicago
* Greatest Hits 1982–1989
* Group Portrait
* The Heart of Chicago 1967–1997
* The Heart of Chicago 1967–1998 Volume II
* The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning
* The Box
* Love Songs
* The Best of Chicago: 40th Anniversary Edition

Singles|

* "Questions 67 and 68"
* "Beginnings"
* "Make Me Smile"
* "25 or 6 to 4"
* "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?"
* "Free"
* "Lowdown"
* "Saturday in the Park"
* "Dialogue (Part I & II)"
* "Feelin' Stronger Every Day"
* "Just You 'n' Me"
* "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long"
* "Call on Me"
* "Wishing You Were Here"
* "Harry Truman"
* "Old Days"
* "Brand New Love Affair"
* "Another Rainy Day in New York City"
* "If You Leave Me Now"
* "Baby, What a Big Surprise"
* "Take Me Back to Chicago"
* "Alive Again"
* "No Tell Lover"
* "Hard to Say I'm Sorry"
* "Love Me Tomorrow"
* "Stay the Night"
* "Hard Habit to Break"
* "You're the Inspiration"
* "Along Comes a Woman"
* "Will You Still Love Me?"
* "If She Would Have Been Faithful..."
* "Niagara Falls"
* "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love"
* "Look Away"
* "You're Not Alone"
* "We Can Last Forever"
* "What Kind of Man Would I Be?"
* "Chasin' the Wind"
* "Here in My Heart"

Related articles|

* Discography
* Members
* Leonid and Friends

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work
* MusicBrainz release group

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template